The State of Language Access in the U.S.

Happy April to everyone near and far! 🌸

As many folks in the U.S. are aware, last month our president filed “Executive Order 14224” declaring English to be the official language of this country. This revoked “Executive Order 13166” (called “Improving Access to Services for Persons With Limited English Proficiency”), which was issued by former President Bill Clinton. Many people are asking me what this means for organizations that need to communicate in a variety of languages: What are we required to offer? Will we still receive federal funding for language access? Will people like hospital interpreters lose their jobs?

While it will take a while to find out if this EO really changes anything tangible, a guide and fact sheet published last month by the Asian Law Caucus offers answers and guidance. The guide is very clear and spells out why, “in most cases, everyone still has a legal right to obtain language assistance from programs and services that receive federal funding.” You can read it here:

https://www.asianlawcaucus.org/news-resources/guides-reports/know-your-rights-executive-order-14224

It’s important to note that 30 U.S. states already declare English to be their official language: California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and many more. Nonetheless, most of these states have robust language access programs at several levels of government and within private institutions. As noted in the guide from the Asian Law Caucus: “(T)here are many statutes and regulations that continue to mandate language access, including written translation, oral and sign language interpretation, and notices advising community members on how to access language support. Executive orders cannot properly cancel or change existing laws.”

I also have two recent blog posts about language access that you can read: “Effective Communication During Emergencies” and “Translation and Interpretation in Education: How to Improve Outcomes for All.” Both posts highlight why language access helps to create a society where people can properly navigate systems and contribute in a meaningful way.